A few years ago I was in BNI – a referral-based networking group. At every meeting you did a pitch to the members in the room – and indirectly to their networks. One week I asked the people in the room to raise their hands if they felt they were delivering excellent customer [...]
The problem with memories is that they’re often false. Let me explain… You’ve probably heard about what can happen to a “true” story if John tells it to Mary and Mary then tells Patrick and Patrick then tells ….. until someone tells the story back to John. The story will probably have changed [...]
“I want to do an online survey of my customers.” That’s a statement I’ve heard many times from people. However, it might not be the best thing to do. Or it might not be sufficiently well defined. People are always surprised when I don’t immediately say – “Ok – let’s do it”. [...]
I typically tell you a story in these posts. The recent feedback has been interesting. To give you a flavour: Seán said he had noticed a distinct lack of so-called “calls to action”. Mary wondered what I was selling as she thought what I was writing was, though interesting, rhetorical “social commentary”. [...]
I was at a networking meeting last week. One of the elements of the meeting was that we were split into small groups at different tables to brainstorm on how we could improve the network. Each small group spent 20 minutes brainstorming. Then each table in sequence, through their spokesperson, summarised [...]
How about this for a depressing description of a career: “There was comfort in filing divorces and personal bankruptcies and doing an occasional will or deed. Little in the way of fees, but he and most of the other lawyers in Clanton could eke out a living while avoiding almost all risk.” [...]
I often find that a sports event provides fodder for my posts. Today is a little different. This is not a soccer story. But it is a story about a soccer person – Uli Hoeness – and what he can teach us. I first came across him when I was 9 [...]
“The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.” “Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.” Two variations on a theme you may have come across. It’s usually attributed, probably incorrectly, to Thomas Jefferson, 3rd President of the US and one of its Founding Fathers. Whatever its source, it’s understood to be an [...]
My good wife was off in Berlin this past weekend with her sister on a well-earned 4-day break. So things were a bit hectic for yours truly – what with 2 young kids each involved in a gazillion activities and a mother-in-law to be taken care of too. Thankfully our eldest was around to [...]
Evergreen is a soccer club in here in Kilkenny – with teams from tots right up to seniors. The 9 year-olds I coach prepared last Saturday for their first game in over 2 months – against arch city rivals Freebooters. We conceded an early goal. Then another. Then another! Yikes – just [...]